Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
“Good. But we’re going slow. We’re not rushing. Intimacy and care.”
“I think it might kill me to go slow,” she groaned. “Maybe I am ready.”
He shook his head. “You’re so fucking brave, but we’re not doing anything until we’re entirely certain that you’re ready and not just saying it to please us.”
Was that what she was doing?
Maybe partially. But also she really wanted to have an orgasm. To experience one that wasn’t attached to pain and humiliation and fear.
Little slut likes it, don’t you?
Her breathing came in sharp pants.
“Angie? Are you all right? What is it? Fuck, this is too much isn’t it?” He lifted her onto the counter and moved between her legs.
“It’s not. Sorry. I just . . . sometimes the memories come back to me.”
“We use grounding techniques when that happens. So take a deep breath in. One. Two. Three. Four. Hold. One. Two. Three. Four. Now out. That’s it. Good girl.” He held her hands as he spoke and her heart rate slowed, her breathing growing steadier. “That’s it. Better?”
She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. I just want to be normal.”
“Normal is overrated. None of us are normal here.”
She snorted. That was true.
A wicked look filled his face. “And this just means that we’re going to be touching you. A lot.”
Dear Lord.
That sounded like complete and utter torture!
But definitely the good kind.
38
The door to the small dining area opened and Jared strode in, looking far too satisfied with himself.
“Where’s Angie?” North asked.
Fuck.
What was this? Concern?
He didn’t like having feelings.
“She’s having a shower, then coming down.” Jared sat and stared at the door. “I’ll give her five more minutes before I go up and get her. You made this?”
Rex had a doctor’s appointment this morning and he wouldn’t be back for another few hours.
He shrugged. “Yeah, looks okay but it might taste terrible.”
North plated some food for Angie, then for himself. If he or Jared didn’t put food on her plate, she’d take next to nothing for herself.
And that pissed him off.
So many things about her made him feel. It was infuriating.
Jared stood. “Her five minutes are up.” His phone rang and he frowned as he checked it.
“Want me to go get her?” North asked.
Fuck.
Why did he offer to do that?
“Yeah, thanks.”
North nodded and left, heading up the stairs to her room. He knocked on the door.
No answer.
With a sigh, he opened it, hoping that she hadn’t done a runner on them. She walked out of the bathroom with a startled cry at the same time that he stepped into the room.
“Oh my God. You scared me.” She put her hand on her chest. “You guys have really got to start knocking.”
“I did knock,” he pointed out.
“Oh, I guess I didn’t hear it.”
He ran his gaze over her. She was wearing a pair of black, tight pants and an oversized green sweater that was backward and inside out.
He wondered if she knew.
Oh, and there were two different colored socks on her feet.
“What do you need, North?” she asked tiredly.
“You’re late for breakfast.”
“Right . . . right . . . I think I might skip—”
“You’re coming to breakfast.”
Red filled her cheeks. Anger? Good. Anger he could deal with. It was when she was upset or sad that he couldn’t handle it.
“And if I refuse?” she asked.
“Then I’ll pick you up and carry you downstairs.”
“Don’t I get a say in anything around here?”
North eyed her for a long moment. “Not much, no.”
She threw her hands up into the air. “Fine. Let’s go.”
As they headed out the door and down the hallway to the stairs, she kept shooting him strange looks.
“What is it?”
“Um, nothing. Just wondering if you . . . do you . . . how do you feel about everything that’s happened?”
“That’s happened?” he asked.
“B-between us.”
“I feel like I always do,” he replied.
“Oh, right, of course.” She moved down the stairs, but he reached out and placed an arm over her stomach.
“Stop.”
She turned to stare up at him. “What is it?”
“Take my hand down the stairs.” He held out his hand.
“I don’t need any help.”
North just stared down at her. “It wasn’t a question or a request.”
For a moment she appeared like she might argue. Then she nodded and slid her hand into his. This wasn’t something he was used to. He couldn’t remember ever holding someone’s hand like this. But he kept hold of it as he helped her down the stairs.
“Why are you holding my hand?” she asked.
He really had no idea.
“You’re clumsy.”
“No, I’m not!” she said.
“Jared said you fell out of bed this morning.”
“Jeez, fall out of bed one time and suddenly I can’t walk down the stairs alone?”
“Sounds reasonable to me,” he said.
“It’s the exact opposite of reasonable! And where are we going?”
“To the dining room to eat. Although it’s likely cold by now.”
“But isn’t the dining room that way?” She pointed back to where they’d come from.